World on Fire
by Queen-morganalefay
Summary: Raven is torn over the love she felt for Malchior, and the anger she feels at being betrayed. Malchior escapes his curse. Multi-chapter Songfic to 'World on Fire' by Sarah McLachlan. Post Spellbound.
1. Poetry and Party Going

Disclaimer:What's the point? Do you really think I would be writing this if I owned the TT?

* * *

Hearts are worn in these dark ages.

* * *

A spell rarely is weilded in the same manner twice. Magic merely works that way. If an incantation is uttered to a certain end more than once, there is no guarantee that the recipient will react in just the same way as before. Likewise, there is no promise as to the charm's power. Once a spell has been broken and relaid, it might be stronger or weaker than before.

Curses, however, are entirely different. A curse worms its way into your heart soul, pouring into you so deep that if it is ever broken it will still linger, an old scar upon you for those to see that can. If the curse is ever laid again, the scar will reopen, and a pieve of you, no matter how small, will have an immunity. A chance to fight back will be presented...to break free forever.

A thousand-year scar presents a chasm of possibilities.

* * *

What is darkness but emptiness?

A trapped space of tears and rage

A spiral of lies, hope and despise

The velvet blackness of my cage

The words on the page began to blur together as Raven attempted to concentrate on her poetry book. Her violet gaze drifeted slowly to the locked chest where dangerous artifacts were kept, one standing out in particular. Raven forced her eyes and attention to snap back to her book.

What is sorrow but regret?

A sea of memories not yet forgotten

The reflection of time, no friend of mine

The record found of the worst of my sins

It wasn't that the poetry was intolerable. She had read worse than this before, and a part of her could relate to the poet's message. Maybe it was merely the memory of what had happened only days earlier, and what-no, who, was locked in that trunk-that made her attention span shorten, made her gaze ever linger on that trunk. She shook the thoughts away and attempted to finish the poem.

What is solitude but a scream

A lost sigh in the winds of the past

A wound to the pride, help lost besides

The fear that I whisper:I might not last

That was how he exploited her, how Malchior had in the end convinced. It was her fear of being alone that became his strength, and even though Beast Boy assured her she was not alone, she could not help but feel the creeping effects of an empty room. Malchior was the only one who had ever rid her of that feeling, and he had betrayed her. The fact that she, one who hid all emotion and rid herself of the effects of trivial feelings, could be so easily fooled by a gentle word spoken by a stranger unnerved her. In fact it was enough to derail her.

Slamming her poetry book closed, she hovered slightly above the ground before her feet found traction and moved her frail frame farter from the darkened corner of Titan's Tower. Company-that is what she needed, though what little company there was at hand would drive her into madness. In the very least, annoyance. As much as she cared for her teammates, that affection didn't extend to continuous obnoxious behaviours. Without even thinking, Raven metally listed such behaviours.

_Robin's obsessive nature; Starfire's naive questions; Cyborg's compassion toward mechanics; Beast Boy's insane jokes._

_And your need to hide. _The darker side of her mind, the honest, cynical, hateful side finished the list with one of her own traits.

_Some secrets are meant to remain hidden._ She thought bitterly as she entered the bright livingroom, TV blaring out the lines to a rerun of some stupid sitcom, though no one was really watching. Robin was explaining the finer points of football to a readily learning Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy quarelling over whether or not tofu made or marred the meal. Raven sighed and took control of the TV, first reducing the volume and then turning the channel to a station showing _Interview with a Vampire_. Anne Rice's characters, visualized by over glorified actors, filled the screen.

Beast Boy's glower met her calm gaze as he protested the selection. "Dude! I was, like, watching that!"

_You weren't._ She said inwardly, though such corrections didn't escape Raven's lips. Instead the usual icy command left her. "Deal with it."

Before Beast Boy could reply, Raven found herself being squeezed in two while masses of flaming hair nearly suffocated her.

"Starfire...why...?"

"Oh, my friend! Robin has told me about the joyous festivities and rotting candy that come to us on this glorious day of Halloween!" Starfire released her, beaming at the chance to be taken to another of Earth's holiday frivolities.

_More like Earth's holiday foolishness._

"Would you help me in the preparement of concealing ourselves in harmless yet grotesque disguises?"

Her eyebrows raised slightly. "You mean, help you pick out a costume?"

"Yes, friend Raven!" Starfire exclaimed, clapping her hands together wistfully.

"I'm like, going as Dracula." Beast Boy said, showing the two natural pointed teeth to demonstate the brilliance of the selection. Raven's attention turned to Cyborg for his declaration of a costume.

"I wanted to go as Frakenstein, but..."

"Dude! A Death Stormer off of Clash of the Planets is so better!" Beast Boy said indignantly, as though the thought of resurrected mangled zombies offended him.

His green eyes slowly went to Robin, a grin spreading slowly.

"You should so go as Batman!"

"No." Robin siad bluntly, clearly assuming the subject closed.

"Haven't you ever wondered, like, what it'd, ya know, be like to be Batman?" Beast Boy wheedled, sounding even more than usual like an immature child.

"No."

Beast Boy immeadiatly glared at Robin and sunk into a sullen pout. Starfire, ignoring the situation, turned to Raven once more.

"What shall we go as, friend Raven?"

Raven, of course, wasn't planning to go at all, but if it would stop Starfire's incessant question, she would suggest a costume. Starfire would never go as a horror figure...perhaps...

"Starfire, do you still have your wedding dress from the betrothal on Tameran?"

"Yes, friend Raven, but I do not think the betrothal of man and woman was included in-"

"It isn't. We're going to use it as part of your costume." Raven went down the hall, Starfire following. Strains of a newly risen arguement reached their ears as they went on.

"What about going as Alfred?"

"No."

"Agent Smith?"

"No."

"Slade?"

"NO!"

* * *

The music at the party was annoyingly upbeat and pulsing so loudly the floor seemed to shake, though the vibrations might have been the countless feet moving to the beat of the song. The lights in the club were dimmed to the point where everyone looked the same. It was best not to stray far from your companions, lest the crowd swallowed you whole.

A vampiric Beast Boy was dancing badly to the music, Cyborg in a Clash of the Planets costume laughing not far away. Robin, refusing to go unless he could go as himself, danced with a ghost bride Starfire not too far from the center of the floor.

Raven mildly wondered what she was doing here, dressed all in black and wearing sunglasses that she was sure were way too expensive. Beast Boy had assured her she would look like a spy. She assured him that she looked ridiculous.

As another boy, this one dressed as what looked like a cowboy, approached she set her face into stony expression to send him away again. She would not be caught doing something as idiotic as dancing.

Raven whirled around as something caught her eye. Someone brushed past her, someone with white hair and a bandana tied around his mouth and nose, leaving only the eyes, which she couldn't see clearly.

"Malchior..." She breathed and raised her hand, surrounding and trapping him against the wall.

"I trapped you. How did you escape?" How did he get out of the book? How did he get a real body?

Looking again, though, it was just some kid in a costume. Raven felt Robin's hand on her shoulder attempting to calm her.

"Let him go, Raven." There seemed to be a double meaning to the command.

The black energy evaporated as the boy dropped to the floor slowly, his brown eyes wide with fear and white wig starting to slip. The boy backed away from her; his words rang in her ears long after he had ran out of the club.

"You're a freak! That was way creepy!"

_I'm not creepy...just different._


	2. Scorch Marks

We're not alone

In this story's pages

* * *

The ride back from the club was silent. Raven could feel inquiring eyes on her, question her actions and why she had spoiled the fun. But thankfully no one spoke. No one broke the blissful silence.

She needed to get back to the safety of her room, where her voice echoed across the room, the same words spoken over and over calming her. Her emotions hadn't been under her control of late, and soon it would affect the others unless she got a grip on reality. She needed to be alone. She needed to meditate.

Her footsteps rang hollow as she left the T-car, climbing the stairs and going through the living room at as fast a pace as she could handle without running. Beyond all, Raven couldn't bear to have the others think she was panicking. After all, there was nothing to panic over.

_Calm yourself. _She told herself sternly. Everyone made mistakes. It was a natural part of life. There just greater consequences when she did.

"Rae"

She stopped abruptly as his tenor voice, full of concern, reached her ears. Her hands immediately reached for her hood to hide her face, to hide from him, but all her fingers found were empty space, groping in mid-air. In the heat of her slip up, she had forgotten she was wearing that stupid costume. Instead, Raven lowered her hands and just didn't face Beast Boy.

"Yes"

"Are you okay" His voice held more concern than she needed him to show. He shouldn't be concerned, shouldn't pity her. It only made her feel weak.

Her head moved slowly up and down in confirmation of the inquiry. "I need to rest. Tell the others."

"Okay, Rae." She didn't mind the use of her pet name so much now. Her mind was too preoccupied by other things. Some things she couldn't be bothered with right now, and as understanding as Beast Boy was being, Raven had to put him in that category.

Her amethyst eyes roved her room upon entrance, all things in their place…a comforting sight. Raven shed her costume and donned her normal attire, loving the comfortable sense of order her uniform gave her.

Assuming her half-lotus position and rising so that her cloak barely trailed the floor, her lids closed slowly as she attempted to sooth her mind.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Azarath, Metrion, Zin—"

A white haze surrounded her vision as she saw the muddled vision of flames burning and a dark form raising…a powerful figure…

Her gasp broke the monotony of her chants as the vision broke her trance. It was disturbing, almost as disturbing as the visions she had seen of Terra before her treachery was known. But was this vision of twisting, burning fire…what was it? When was it? If only she hadn't been startled into breaking the trance.

Fire…a dark figure…

Her heart stopped as she glided hurriedly toward the locked chest. Slim digits fumbled with the lock for several tedious seconds before hearing the click and watching it fall to the ground. She realized her breath was held as Raven lifted the lid gently…and breathed a sigh of relief. The dark shadow that enveloped the bottom of the trunk showed a darker rectangular form. Surely it was the book.

Raven reached her pale hand into the chest, fingers passing the place where they should have stopped and grazing the bottom of the chest. Words of a spell for light left her lips, and the area around her grew bright, revealing the contents of the trunk.

Nothing, except for a rectangular burn. Nothing except for the place where the flames had been. No book. No Malchior.

And now that it had happened, the thought that Raven feared most reached her.

* * *

_You fool. You should have destroyed him while you had the chance._

_**I could not have predicted this.**_

_Don't lie to yourself. You knew the risks. You knew the possibilities._

_**The chances were slim. Miniscule. The probability of breaking the curse was vast.**_

_Yet still there. And chance saw fit to provide him an escape route at your hands._

_**I will recapture him. I will destroy him.**_

_You won't. Even though you have the power, you couldn't raise a hand to hurt him._

_**That's a lie.**_

_It's why you chose imprisonment instead of death. You still hold feelings for him._

_**You lie.**_

_I am you, Raven. Why would I lie to myself?_

_**What would you have me do? Not try to recapture him?**_

_Why not seek the aid of those friends of yours? I'm sure they would love to help._

_**I can handle this myself.**_

_Now who is the one who lies?_

_**…**_

_Do you seek no aid because of this, or because you promised them you would have no more ties to him?_

_**Neither.**_

_Go to them, Raven. It should have be an interesting experience._

* * *

"He has escaped." The statement was hollow as she said it, without meaning, without emotion. She realized this as blank stares met her.

"Malchior. He has escaped."

It was amazing to watch the other four react to that simple yet powerful statement. Cyborg's one real eyebrow shot upward, Robin tensed as if readying himself for battle, Starfire's gasp resonated throughout the room, and Beast Boy gave a soft exclamation of "Dude…"

"Are you sure, Raven" Robin asked in a low tone, his expression suddenly showing skepticism, as if he found the very idea too absurd to consider.

Raven's brow knit together lightly. "The book is gone. There are scorch marks where it was. Do you have another explanation"

Beast Boy scratched his head, bemused. "Uh…someone really doesn't like to read"

"Malchior broke the curse. I don't know how, but he has, and he's gone." Raven said, more than just a hint of anger in her voice.

"But…" Cyborg kept a careful face as he reasoned the strange occurrence out. "If he had…wouldn't he have tried to destroy the Tower? Or the city? Wouldn't there be more damage in your room than just burn marks if a _dragon_ broke loose"

"He's powerful. He would find a way."

"Half the city, like, would be in flames by now" Beast Boy said, an attempt to use logic, which was proving difficult for the changeling.

Robin frowned and spoke in a low tone. "Maybe the book was stolen, Raven."

Starfire added her own comment at this point. "Or perhaps the Malchior has been misplaced"

Raven glared angrily at her friends and turned, leaving as she realized they wouldn't believe her. They couldn't understand. That spell was supposed to bind Malchior to the book forever, and a heavy presence of black magic poisoned her room.

She didn't need her friends' help. She could do this herself.


	3. Necromancy

**Author's Note: **Like a lot of my other stories, this is one that has fallen to the wayside. I hope to get it back up to date. Help me out, review.

* * *

Night has fallen amongst the living and the dieing.

* * *

The cemetary was silent as the grave...fitting, considering the circumstances. Many graves lacked headstones, so ancient was it's grounds. The church that stood next to it seemed to threaten to plunge into open sea, the waves crashing against the rocks sounding from the entrance of the cemetary, some two hundred feet from the cliff's edge. Raven stood on that dusty England road, her eyes showing dark shadows from where she had strained to use her teleporting powers to take her where she needed to be.

The bones of ancient sorcerer lay here. Here, in the spot where the cemetary lay.

She examined the ground next to the church. No grass grew here. None ever would; none had for a thousand years. The sand was black and coarse, like ashes. It was ashes...an ancient struggle between dragon and magic had been fought here.

Malchior could not be tracked, but this is something she could do. If she had enough strength, she could do this, could bring about this change. And it would be a change...a change for all the fate of the world. If Malchior wrecked terror such as he had tried to wreck when the last battle had been had, then the world would be brought to its knees long before her father even got the chance to come. And then, when he came, what chance would mankind have? What then?

This was the only way. But it was such obscure magic, such a long shot, that she stood a strong chance of being killed in the attempt. And even if she wasn't killed, the spell could go horribly wrong. Necromancy was a horrible thing to attempt, and it was closer to dark magic than anything else. It was cheating fate...something Raven knew better than to attempt. Or at least she thought she knew better, up until this moment. Now she was attempting to cheat fate on several levels.

Raven raised her hands and chanted slow, rhythmic words in a language long since forgotten. Gnarled trees that grew near the edge of the water bent and swayed toward the water dangerously as she raised her voice higher just to be heard against the raging wind. The cliff was a good five hundred feet away, and yet water sprayed up in huge waves, lapping onto headstones and washing some away back into the sea.

It was getting harder to speak. Her throat was constricting, and the elements were raising up around her horribly. The blackness around the edges of her mind threatened to engulf her, but she continued to speak. She continued to scream the words even as she noticed that all was growing dim, and the sound of waves crashing was coming closer to her. She continued even when she realized she was to her knees.

Even when Raven blacked out, she continued to shout the words.

The light, blinding white light flooded her closed eyes. She opened them slowly, her pupils adjusting and revealing four figures standing around her. Her surroundings were obviously that of a hospital. The other Titans hesitated to speak as Raven looked around, noticing that the window that showed the outside world told her of her location: London. She raised herself to a sitting position, then turned to Robin.

"Hi." She said hesitatingly, wondering what had happened, and whether the spell had worked. Hopefully it had, but until she knew for sure she wasn't going to breathe a word to any of them.

"Hi." He said shortly, with a note of stern concern in his voice. "We tracked you on the communicator. We found you blacked out in a cemetary. What is going on, Raven?"

"I had the strangest urge to go sight-seeing." Raven said in her usual monotone. "Am I cleared to go?"

Cy shrugged. "Scanners say your fine. You should be able to get out of her, no problem. You sure you don't want to wait until morning though?" It had to be around two a.m. The bright halogen lights in the room were the only thing that suggested she should be awake. Raven considered staying in that hospital for a descent length of time, but decided she couldn't wait. She had to get back to the Tower. Raven shook her head.

"No. I want to go home."

The others slowly filed out of the room, and Raven got up, putting on her cloak which someone had taken off. Robin had hesitated near the door, waiting on Raven. He looked prepared to make a speech. Sure enough, a second later he ran a hand through his hair and sighed in a nervous manner. "Look, Raven, I know Malchior hurt you, but hunting him down like this, isn't it a little..."

"Necessary?" She suggested

"Ridiculous." He put in. He moved toward her and stood a few inches away from her. "Malchior's gone. You destroyed him. He's not coming back."

"No." She shook her head and side stepped him, walking out the door. "I cursed him. I didn't destroy him. That means that he can still destroy us."

* * *

Raven stood surveying her room before flopping down on her bed. Not a sign. Not a sign of anything resulting from her spell.

So it hadn't worked, and she hadn't been strong enough. And all their hopes of stopping Malchior were gone. It was up to her. All she could do was study what magics she could and hope it would be enough. But if the last powerful spell she had attempted had not worked, what made her think she could manage to do stronger magic? She needed training, a tutor, and that's what she had hoped to recieve from her venture to London.

Raven's thoughts froze as she heard her window open slowly. A form slipped through it slowly. Raven sat up imperceptably, and through whoever had entered against the wall, eyes glowing furiously as she walked toward the perpetrator. "You picked the wrong room to break into." She growled, but before she could go into an actual threat, she was thrown against the opposite wall, a man's voice speaking calmly with an accent not recognizable, yet still his English was understandable.

"If you release me, maiden, I will release you."


	4. Intruduction to Insolence

**Author's Note: **

**StarStar16: **That's all you can say? _Nice?_ Wow. You're descriptive in your criticism.

**evilsangle: **Yes it is::Dances around like a loony: It's Rorek, It's Rorek, we all love Rorek... :sings like the mad person she is:

* * *

There was silence for several moments while Raven and the unknown stranger pitted themselves against one another in a silent competition of magical stare-down. While he seemed unable…or unwilling…to break her hold, she could not break his. She tried every spell, counter-curse, and chant known to her, and yet the barrier held fast. It was as if she were gripped firmly but gently in a giant hand.

Finally, though not speaking her surrender, she let down the black force of telepathic energy, and his shield was broken as well, allowing her to slide to her feet and turn on a low, dim light, trying to illuminate his face. He was standing in shadow, however.

"Identify yourself." She growled in a low monotone, but from what she could make out of his expression, he frowned.

"I should be asking you to do the same. Judging by the magical summons I received to come here after being called back from the afterlife, a powerful sorceress lives here. Are you perhaps her apprentice?" He seemed genuinely confused by her presence in the room. Raven bit back the desire to slap him.

"I am the _only _sorceress here, to my knowledge." Sorceress was not the correct terminology, of course. She did spells, but magic ran through her because of her demonic side, not because of any skill as a sorceress. She could harness that energy and control it and train it, but she did not create it.

"Oh…" He stepped into the light. Raven bit back a gasp as she saw the haunting blue eyes and flowing white hair, half his face masked by a scarf and his garb loose and flowing, almost in the ways of the Arabic, though his skin was pale. "But you are just a _child!_"

"I'm sixteen, thank you very much." She spat. "I don't consider that a child." She raised a threatening hand coated in telepathic energy. "Now, I suggest you tell me who you are."

He raised a hand covered with similar energy, except white. "Not unless you tell me your name first, my lady."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Perhaps. Are you trying to give me orders?"

"I don't have to try." Raven's purplish-black eyes narrowed. "If you're who I think you are, I can send you back to where you came from just as easily as I brought you up."

"So not easily at all, in other words?" The wrinkles around his eyes told her that he was smiling, trying hard not to laugh at her. He lowered his hand and the energy vanished. The man crossed his arms and looked at her with patient blue eyes. "Let us pretend that we are not suspecting one another, and that we know that we can trust one another."

"I'm not good at pretending."

"It's time you learned." He continued on as if she had not interrupted. "I will introduce myself, and my background, and then you will tell of yourself."

Raven nodded, still glaring. "Go on, then."

"I would feel more comfortable explaining myself if my guest did not seem ready to blast me through a wall." He pointed out loftily. After waiting for her to lower her hand and release the energy, he spoke. "I am Rorek, wizard who defeated Malchior. I died in the attempt, at the age of twenty."

"So, you are not so old either." Her eyes narrowed once more. "You're nothing more but a child as well."

"It is not polite to interrupt." He continued after she had quieted. "Tonight I was brought back and followed the magical call, weak as it was, to this source." Rorek's blue eyes bored into her. "Now you speak, maiden."

"First off," She began, still glaring angrily. "I am not maiden, nor am I _your lady._ My name is Raven." She lifted her hood to cover her face, feeling uncomfortably exposed, but not knowing why. "I preformed a necromancy spell tonight in hopes of bringing Rorek back…or you, if you truly are Rorek. Until I am sure of it, I am not going to tell you why I called you here."

She could tell he was laughing silently at her again. "And how am I not to know that you are not evil? Necromancy is a dangerous magic, one that I can tell you could barely handle, judging by how roughly I was brought back. And it is dark. You could be my enemy."

"If I'm your enemy, then you are mine. If you were my enemy, you would no longer be breathing."

"Strong words for a maiden…" He mused.

"My actions are stronger." Raven assured him.

Rorek bowed and began speaking. "Forgive me, Lady Raven. I misspoke. In what way can I prove to you my identity?"

How to make him prove himself? That was the ultimate question, and she did not really have an answer. She thought for a few moments, and the answer barely came to her. "Tell me of how you defeated Malchior."

* * *

A half an hour passed as he regaled, and his story collaborated with the story she now knew to be true of what happened that fateful evening. Much as she disliked the real Rorek so far, it seemed that he truly was Rorek.

"Now, Lady Raven." Those deep blue eyes were laughing at her again. "Why did you call me from death to exist here yet again?"

"First off…you may be wanting to know the year." She stopped to look at him cautiously. "You've been dead a thousand years. It's 2004 on our calendar times, and a lot has changed."

"You called me here to tell me of the difference in the ages?"

"Of course not." She blushed slightly. He made her feel rather uncomfortable. Those eyes were completely piercing. "I called you here because I trapped Malchior in the book again recently when he used me to escape…and somehow he has escaped again."

The anger that sprang into his eyes was enough to make her wonder if she had done right by bringing this wizard of old to life.

"You let him escape!" The wizard began pacing, the volume in his voice rising. "You insolent, stupid child, do you realize what you've done? How could you have released him to begin with? Do you know _nothing_ of curses?" He stopped to glare at her again, and now his tone was almost to a shout. "They rarely work a second time, and if that second time is to come, it normally doesn't work as well if long periods of time have lapsed. And you waited a thousand years after his imprisonment to release him and then rebind him! Dolt, insolent little waif!"

"Watch your tongue." She said, her fists clenched and teeth gritted. "I thought he was you."

"Why would I be trapped in that book? Did you not even think?"

There was a crashing knock on the door that caused both to spin in the direction of the door. Robin's voice called out when Raven made no move to answer the door.

"Raven, are you alright? I thought I heard shouting."


	5. Movie Night

**Author's Note: **Bleh.

* * *

"Raven, are you alright? I thought I heard shouting." Raven froze and bit her bottom lip, watching Rorek seem to stop himself just before he started to shout at her again. There was a pregnant pause in which both could hear only their muffled breathing and then Robin's fist slammed against the door again. "Raven? Raven?"

Raven rushed across the room and grabbed Rorek by his collar, dragging him across her room before he could protest and shoving him in her tall, intricately carved antique wardrobe. "Quiet." She hissed. "Don't make a sound. I'll get him to go away. Do _not_ come out of here before I open this door." She slammed the oak door in his face before she had time to think of how his bemused expression was comical, and then walked toward the door just as Robin began to knock again. His fist was about to crash a fourth time with the metal when she telepathically slid back the metal panel. "What?"

"Are you okay in there? I thought I heard shouting."

"I'm fine. Beast Boy's room is down the hall. You probably just heard his TV."

"Oh..." Robin looked confused, as if he doubted that his hearing senses were that far off, but he seemed to dismiss it a few seconds later. "Well, I needed to talk with you anyways, Raven. May I come in?"

Raven stepped out into the hallway and closed the door soundlessly behind her. She was close to the Boy Wonder...close enough to almost see through the white lenses of his mask. "We can talk out here."

He seemed to accept that, almost as if he had expected it. He probably had. "I wanted to apologize for upsetting you when we doubted you over Malchior's escape. It's just...there's no evidence, Raven, and anything could've happened except for that. It's not my area of expertise, but didn't you tell me that was a particularly strong curse to escape from?"

"It was." Raven paced a little ways away from Robin, deep in thought. "But Malchior was a particular strong sorcerer."

Robin's bemused voice sounded again. "I thought he was a dragon..."

"He was a sorcerer also."

"Oh..." Robin moved forward toward Raven as she turned again and laid a hand on her shoulder, smiling in a friendly manner. "Well, if you need any help figuring out what happened to that book, or if Malchior did show up, then we're here for you, ok?"

She looked pointedly at his hand, which he removed, but nodded and opened the door of her room just wide enough for her to enter before crossing toward it. "Good night, Robin." The door slid closed again with a quick snap, thankfully...or hopefully, before Robin had a chance to look inside, because of who was sitting on the bed. Rorek poured over the Book of Azar, sitting on the end of the mattress, his cloak cutting into his throat slightly. She stood startled for a few seconds, then crossed the room and slammed the book shut on his fingers telepathically, which caused him to glare at her and stretch his fingers subtly. "I thought I told you to stay in there."

"I'm not accustomed to being thrown into a small wooden prison by my hosts, Lady Raven, so I decided to disregard your orders. Besides, you will surely have to explain my prescence to your betrothed. It would be an awkward situation for you...then again, you seem to love to create awkward situations, perhaps you like to experience them as well."

"You think Robin is my...? Nevermind." Raven shook her head and rubbed her temples in exasperation. She began again in a monotone. "We're going to have to work together, and if we're going to do that, you have to realize that...

_"I'm in charge."_ Both of their voices completed the sentence at the same time, and they both stared at each other in increduality.

"You? An amateur sorceress who released one of the most dangerous beings in the history of the world in charge? Maiden, you jest."

"You? A corpse I resurrected who so far has proven to be little more than a smart mouthed conveyor of parlor tricks? _Sir_, you need to work on your sense of humor."

Her amethyst eyes matched his blue in another competition of glares before he started to chuckle lightly. "_What?_"

"Nothing, Lady Raven. I was merely thinking of how much the character of a lady has decreased over the span of years. In my time, a woman would never be so forward as to even think of a quarrel of the position of command."

"I'm thrilled that I wasn't born in your times, then." Raven countered. "By the way, so you know, Robin is not my betrothed."

He looked startled by this piece of news. "Then is this gentleman related to you?"

"Not through blood or relation's marriage."

Rorek's eyes widened. "My lady...are you not of station? Only harlots and servants would live with a man they are neither married nor related to."

"Then, be shocked, because I live with _three_." Her eyes glowed in anger at being called a servant and a prostitute. "And _no,_ I'm not of station, per say, but I'm not a servant or a harlot. I'm a Teen Titan."

He stood and stretched subtly, pacing across the room to replace the Book of Azar. "I'm afraid I am not familiar with that occupation, Lady Raven."

She sighed and ran her pale fingers through her dark locks. Her eyes were twitching with fatigue from the journey and the wearing magic she had preformed less than twenty-four hours before. "It's...it's a. Look, you fought evil in your day, right? Criminals, villians?"

"In truth, yes."

"That's what a Teen Titan does. We protect this city."

"And what village are we in, Lady Raven?" He was peering out the window now, examining the skyscrapers and many vehicles running on the streets near the edge of the docks that led to the bridge crossing the waters to the Tower.

"This is Jump City. We border Gotham City. We're on a different continent now...you were in Britain..."

"I originated from Avalon, actually..."

"Which became known as Britain, which is in Europe. We live in the United States, which is part of North America." Raven sighed as there was another knock on the door. She walked over to her bookshelves and pulled down a few extensive history books...some on Earth and others on the universe, religion, philosophy, wars, and other dimensions...and a book of maps. "Here. You can study these while I see what the others want. Stay in this room...please, Rorek..." She added as she saw his look of distaste. "While I see what the others want. I forgot that tonight was movie night."

She moved toward the door just as she heard Beast Boy shout through the metal. "Raaaavvveeeennn...hel-_lo?_ Movie night? Your choice. So, here's the categories. Horror, or horror, or horror, or---"

"Dude, are you going to give her any actual choices?" Cyborg interrupted.

"I'm getting to it! Or...comedy!"

She heard Cyborg groan and then turned back toward Rorek. "Step into the shadows until I get out of here and have the door closed. Oh...and besides the books on those shelves--" She pointed to the first three book cases. "Don't touch anything."

Raven quickly exited her room and slammed the door shut behind her a little too fast. Cyborg looked down at her suspiciously. "Er... you running from something?"

Beast Boy laughed. "Yeah...probably those weird bird things..." He stopped and went a little pale when he saw her serious expression. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. "Wait...there not...really here, are they?"

Raven gained a mysterious expression just to worry him because she found it amusing, and though she heard Cyborg chuckling it didn't cover the whimper of fear that came from Beast Boy. The time he spent in her mind apparently still haunted him, but not enough to keep him from bothering her stuff if she left it out of her room. The only way to keep him from touching things were to hint that they may have a spell on them. If only the same rule could be applied to his toeclippings left on the coffee table. Many times she had thought of actually cursing his feet.

Robin and Starfire were already in the livingroom, Robin surfing channels and Starfire popping the popcorn.

"Friends! Does the mustard go well with the corn of pop?"

"NO!" All four of the other Titans automatically shot down the alien's strange idea. Raven flipped through the movies that had been rented from the store, finding all mundane. They were all cheesy horror flicks that were not very scary at all...just horrible ideas that hollywood had hurried through. Instead of choosing one of the rented, she bent down in front of the movies they owned, much to Beast Boy's dislike.

"Hey, Raven, you're supposed to pick a..."

"Beast Boy, the movies you picked out suck." Cyborg laugh. "If it was my choice, I'd be doing the same thing."

There was a much wider selection in the movies they owned, but it was difficult to find a movie that suited her mood at the moment. If she made Beast Boy suffer through another black and white film, what was left of his mind might actually snap...instead, she selected _Underworld._ She doubted anyone would object to that choice in movie.

Just as the opening credits were rolling, she heard Cyborg sit up slightly. "Does anyone else hear that music?"


End file.
